KYOTO: A System for Mining, Structuring, and Distributing Knowledge Across Languages and Cultures

We outline work performed within the framework of a current EC project. The goal is to construct a language-independent information system for a specific domain (environment/ecology/biodiversity) anchored in a language-independent ontology that is linked to wordnets in seven languages. For each language, information extraction and identification of lexicalized concepts with ontological entries is carried out by text miners (?Kybots?). The mapping of language-specific lexemes to the ontology allows for crosslinguistic identification and translation of equivalent terms. The infrastructure developed within this project enables long-range knowledge sharing and transfer across many languages and cultures, addressing the need for global and uniform transition of knowledge beyond the specific domains addressed here

Testing assumptions of otolith radiometric aging with two long-lived fishes from the northern Gulf of Mexico

In this study, we evaluate the assumptions for estimating ages with radiometric and elemental analyses of otoliths of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico. In whole otoliths of both red snapper and red drum, 226Ra activity was inversely correlated with the otolith mass increase with age, validating the assumption that 226Ra accumulation in otoliths occurs at a rate proportional to that of Ca. 222Rn emanation from otoliths decreased as otolith mass increased. 222Rn loss occurred in all red snapper otolith samples ([Formula: see text]4.1%) and, to a lesser extent, in red drum otolith samples ([Formula: see text]0.6%) and decreased with increasing size (age) of the otolith. For red drum, the assumption that the initial activity ratio of 210Po to 226Ra in otoliths is essentially zero was indirectly validated with elemental analyses of Pb and Ba. Radiometric age estimation of shallow-water fishes from the northern Gulf of Mexico holds great promise, considering that 226Ra activities observed in this study are some of the highest recorded to date for species to which the 210Pb/226Ra dating technique has been applied. </jats:p

Renal function after unilateral nephrectomy for Wilms' tumour:The influence of radiation therapy

The effect of therapy on renal function after unilateral nephrectomy for Wilms' tumour was studied. In the second year following unilateral nephrectomy, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were estimated simultaneously by measuring I-125-iothalamate clearance and I-131-hippurate clearance. Of 41 evaluable patients, 29 received chemotherapy as sole treatment modality following nephrectomy (group 1); 12 patients additionally received radiation therapy to a field that included the remaining kidney (group 2). Results were expressed as standard deviation scores (z-scores). In group 1, mean z-score for GFR was -0.27 (94.6% of normal) and in group 2 mean z-score was -1.51 (72.7% of normal for two kidneys) (P = 0.022, Mann-Whitney U-test). Mean z-score for ERPF was -0.09 (97.0%) in group 1 and -1.53 (73.8%) in group 2 (P = 0.039). It was concluded that the combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, in contrast to chemotherapy alone, negatively affects the ability of the remaining kidney to adjust its function after the loss of its counterpart

Higher high density lipoprotein cholesterol associated with moderate alcohol consumption is not related to altered plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase and lipid transfer protein activity levels

Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) are important factors involved in HDL metabolism. Altered plasma activity levels of these factors could play a role in the increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol associated with moderate alcohol consumption. We measured plasma LCAT, CETP and PLTP activities with exogenous substrate assays, as well as lipoproteins and HDL lipids in 6 alcohol-abstaining men, 18 matched men who used less than or equal to 1 and 18 men who used >1 alcohol-containing drinks per day. Plasma cholesterol and triglycerides were similar in the three groups. HDL total cholesterol, HDL cholesteryl ester, HDL free cholesterol and HDL triglycerides were higher in the alcohol drinkers compared to the abstainers (all P <0.05). No differences in plasma LCAT, CETP and PLTP activity levels were observed between the three groups. Analysis of covariance also demonstrated that the use of alcohol was associated with higher HDL cholesterol (P <0.04), whereas plasma LCAT, CETP and PLTP activity levels were not related to alcohol consumption. Furthermore, HDL cholesteryl ester was positively associated with; LCAT activity (P <0.001), PLTP activity (P <0.01) and alcohol intake (P <0.04) and negatively with plasma triglycerides (P <0.001) and CETP activity (P <0.03), indicating that alcohol influenced HDL cholesteryl ester independently from these biochemical parameters. The higher HDL cholesterol associated with moderate alcohol consumption is, therefore, unlikely to be caused by an effect on plasma LCAT, CETP or PLTP activity levels. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V